Sewing machine



A. R. wooD SEWING MACHINE April 30, 1935.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1954 llr Vii Webb A. R. WOOD SEWINGMACHINE April 30, 1935.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1934 Alfred B. M 0

A fil so, 1935. A R WOOD 1,999,986

SEWING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Alfieal 15. Mom? I IApril 30, 1935. R, WOOD 1,999,986

' SEWING MACHINE Filed Jan. ll, 1934 5"SheetsSheet 4 Alfred fL-MoodApril 30, 1935.

A. R. WOOD SEWING MACHINE F'ild Jan. 11, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedApr. 3%, 1935 SEWING MACHINE Alfred R. Wood, Bridgeport, Coim., assignorto The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 3., a. corporation ofNew Jersey I Application January 11, 1934, Serial No. 706,197

7 Claims. (01.11243) This invention relates to sewing machines, moreparticularly of the type having stitchforming mechanism, a work-clamp,and means including a feed-wheel or pattern-cam for'rela- 5 tivelymoving the stitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp to placethestitchesin the desired order or arrangement. Such machines arecommonly used in tacking and barring operations, attaching articles suchas buttons and labels to fabrics, sewing buttonholes, etc. In suchmachines, and particularly in buttonhole sewingmachines, it .isdesirable that provision be made for turning the feed-wheel orpatterncam-xby hand to any position of its cycle,whilethe-stitch-forming mechanism is at rest, so that inxcase of breakage ofthe sewing thread during a normal cycle of operations, the sewingoperation may be re-started at the point of interruption and continuedto the normal end Y 20 of the cycle, without sewing over the entirepattern.

In machines having an over-running clutch or pawl-and-ratchet drivingconnection. between the main-shaft and the feed-wheel, there-is nodifiiculty in turning the feed-wheel forwardly by hand to any desiredposition, while the mainshait isat'rest. An over-running drivingconnection for the feed-wheel is objectionable, however, on account ofthe tendency of the feed- 39 wheel to overthrow, making it necessary tofrictionally load the feed-wheel by a braking device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a. sewing machine ofthe type under consideration which requires, no feed-wheel brakeband orlike loading device and in which provision is made for the hand-turningof the feedwheel to any desired position in its cycle, while themain-shaft is at rest, to enable the machine to be used for the repairof a previous imperfectly stitched buttonhole or other'stitched article,without the necessity of sewing through an entire cycle of movement ofthe feed-wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide the machine with manuallycontrolled means for stopping the machine before it finishes its normalcycle of operations so that, in case 01' needle breakage, for example,the machine may be stopped to avoid damage to the work by the stump ofthe broken needle.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations; and arrangements orparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsof a preferred embodiment of the'invention, from which the severalfeatures of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will bereadily understood 'by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a right side elevation of astraight buttonhole sewingmachine embodying-the invention; the partsbeing in their normal positions of rest between stitching periods. Fig.2 is a left sideelevation of. the machine. Fig. 3 isa horizonal sectionthrough the bracket-arm standard of the machine, showing the machine bedinplan. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of themanual control mechanism at theside of the sewing machine bracket arm, as shown in Fig. l, but with theparts in normal machine-running position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailview ofa portion of Fig. i. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectionthrough the machine arm, Fig. .1 at about the level of the main-shaft.Fig. 6 is a-fragmentary top-plan view of thespin-and-star-wheel driveforthe feed-wheel or pattern-cam of the machine. Fig. 7 is a section on"the line 'I'I,'Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is arear end elevation of the machine.Fig. 9 is a section of the machine-frame on theline 99, Fig. 1, showingthe driving and driven'elements' of the feed-wheel-coupling engaged innormal driving relation. Fig; 10 is a similar view with the elements ofthe coupling disengaged. Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view on theline ll-ll, Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of thefeedwheel-coupling operating rack. Fig. 13 is a similar view of theguide for such rack, and Fig. 14 is a perspective view'of thedriving-element of the coupling.

The machine-frame comprises the usual'bed I and standard 2 of theoverhanging bracket arm 3 terminating in thehead 4 in which is'pivotedon the pins 5 the vibratory gate 6 for the reciprocatory needle-bar 1carrying the needle 8. The needle-bar I is reciprocated by the usuallinkand-crank connection 9, I0, with the main-shaft H, carrying at itsrearward ly projecting end the tight-and-loose belt-pulleys l2 and I3,respectively, and a pinion. It meshingwith a stop-gear l5'of twice itsdiameterto which is fixed a conventional stop-cam I6, Fig. 8.Cooperating with the stop-cam I6 is the upwardly spring-pressedstop-plunger I! carried by the stop-motion lever I8 mounted ontrunnion-screws 19 for tilting movements between stopping and runningpositions, shown in full and dotted lines, respectively, in Fig. 2.. I

The stop-motion lever l8 has a forwardly extending arm 20 rigid with itand this arm 20 is pivotally connected at 2| to a vertical andupbelt-shipper fork 29 fixed to the rearward end of a rearwardlyspring-pressed slide-rod 3!) mounted in one arm of a lever 3! fulcrumedat 32 on the standard 2. The other arm 33 of the lever carries avertically adjustable pin 34 the. lower endof which is in the path oftravel of the belt-shipper trippingpoint 35 on the cam-disk -36 fixed tothe vertical shaft 31 carrying the feed-wheel 27. A stop block 38, Fig.l, secured to the lever arm 33 engages the frame-bracket 3!..to limitthe movement of the lever 3| in one direction under the influence of itsbiasing spring 39.

The stop-motion lever 18 has an outwardly and upwardly curved arm 40 inwhich is fixed a horizontal latch-pin 4] cut away. to form a tooth 62adapted, in the motion of the stop-motion lever F3 from stoppingposition, Fig. 1,.to running position, Fig. 4, to engage the tooth. 43on the block 5d fixed to the'rod 31! and shift the rod Bilandbelt-shipper. fork 25 to running position, Fig. Near the end of a sewingperiod the leve'r'Bl is tilted by the tripping point 35 to disengage thetooth 43 from the tooth 42 and allow the spring.

pressed rod 39 and belt-shipper fork 29 to'carry the belt 28-to'theloose pulley l3. The machine now coasts to finalstoppingpositiondetermined by engagement of the tripping point 26 on"the feed-wheel 2'! with the latch-lever 24 which is disengaged from thenotch 25 in the vertical rod 22' secured to the arm 29 of thestop-motion lever 13. The stop-motion device and belt-shipper releaseabove described is thus constructed substantially in accordance with thedisclosures of the Allen et al. Patent no. 1,878,091, of Sept. 2i),

1932, and the Allen Patent No. 1,659,937, of Feb.-

Thework-clamp is of the usual construction shown, for example, in thepatent to Wood, No. 1,613,634, of Jan. 11, 1927, and having the lowerlongitudinal slide-plate 45, Fig. 3, mounted in the cross-slide-plate45; such slide-plates being actuated by the usual connections with thelongitudinal and lateral feed-cam grooves 11 and 58,

respectively, in thefeed-wheelfl. The work is' held on the slide-plate45 by the upper rectangularly apertured clamping foot 49 carried by thea usual downwardly spring-pressed clamp-lever 5U fulcrumed at 5| on abracket 52 on a lateral extension 53 of the longitudinal slide-plate 45.

During a normal sewing period the feed-wheel shaft 3'? is given a slowstep-by-step turning movement by an accelerating and retarding ornon-overthrow driving connection with the mainshaft. This connectionpreferably comprises a bevel-gear 55, Figs. 1 and 6, on the main-shaft Hmeshing with a gear 55 of double its pitch diameter carrying thediametrically opposed driving pins 56 working in radial slots in thestar wi -reel 5'! fixed to the shaft 58 having at its upper end theusual gear-connections 59 with the needle-bar vibrating crank 60, suchas disclosed in the Allen Patent'No. 1,864,165, of June 21, 1932.

The shaft 53 carries atits lower end a gear 6! Figs. 1 and 5, whichdrives the gear 62 concentrio with and fixed to the pinion 63 meshingwith the gear 64 fast on the feed-wheel shaft 37. By the means describedthe feed-wheel is positively geared to the main-shaft and there can beno overrunning of the feed-Wheel during normal sewing operations. Thedriving connections are as effective in retarding the feed-wheel afterthe transmission thereto of a driving impulse, as they are intransmitting such driving impulse. Hence no frictional loading means arerequired for the feed-wheel to prevent overrunning of the latter.

There are times however, in the operation of the machine, when it isdesirable to manually turn the feed-wheelforwardly independently of themain-shaft. This has heretofore been permitted by the one-way oroverrunning clutch feed-wheel-driving connection commonly used anddisclosed, for example, in the patents to Allen, No. 738,591, of Sept.8, 1903, and No. 806,231, of Dec. 5, 1905.

According to the present improvement there is provided, in combinationwith the non-overrunning feed wheel-driving mechanism, manually andinstantaneously operable clutch means for disconnecting the feed-wheelfrom the mainshaft, to permit the feed-wheel to be turned by hand to anydesired position while the stitchforming mechanism is at rest. To thisend, the gear 8! is slidably mounted on theshaft 56, Figs. 9, 10 and11,.and is formed with ahub having therein a diametral clutch slot 65and urged upwardly by the spring 56 to embrace the diametral clutch pin67 in the shaft 58. I

Secured to the frame-arm 3 by the screw 88, Figs. 1, 9,10 and 13, is thevertical-leg 69 of an L-shaped bracket, the horizontal leg 16 ofwhlch isformed with an aperture ll embracing the shaft 58. The vertical leg 69of the L-shaped bracket is formed with a vertical guideway 12 for thevertical rack-bar 13 having a foot 14 formed with two spaced anddownturned toes 15 engaging the upper face of the gear 61.

Slidably and rotatably journaled in an car 16 on the .L-shaped' bracket69, 10, is a manually operated rod '11 supported at its forward end in abearing post 18 and formed with an operating handle 79. Fixed to therearward end of the rod 111 is a long-faced pinion which meshes with therack 13. It will be evident that the operator may, by turning the handleI5 at any time, instantly rotate the rod I1 and pinion 80 to depress thegears! from the position shown in Fig. 9,to that shown in Figs. 10 and11, in which the gear 6| and feed-wheel shaft 31 are declutched from thedriving shaft 58 and may be turned by hand to any desired position. Uponrelease of the handle '19, the spring 66 automatically effects arecoupling of the gear 51 to its shaft 58, when the clutch pin 61 andclutch slot 55 are in register.

It may be here explained that to facilitate the hand-turning of thefeed-wheel 21 when the main-shaft is stationary, there isprovidedahandlever 8|, Fig. 3, which is loose on the feed-wheel shaft 31and carries a spring-pressed pawl 82 in engagement with a ratchet-wheel83 fixed to the shaft 31. The lever 81 has pivoted to it a handle 84.

There are times when it is desirable to stop the machine during a sewingperiod before the stitching cycle is completed. For example, in case ofneedle-breakage, it is desirable that the machine be stopped to preventinjury to the work by the stump of the needle. To this end means areprovided whereby the operator may, at will, disengage the tooth 43, Fig.4, from the tooth 42, thereby permitting the spring-pressed rod 30 andbeltshipper fork 29 to'carry the belt 28 onto the loose pulley I3;'the'stop motion lever 4il and plunger remaining in their tiltedor'running position, out of engagement with the stop-cam |6. Pivoted onthe pin 4|, Fig. 7, are the legs of an inverted U-shaped levercarryingan adjustable push-screw 86 the head 8'l of which engages the upperinclined end of the'block 44. The lever 85 is connected by a link 88 toan arm 89 freely mounted on and projecting outwardly from the rod 11 andconfined between-collars 90 on such rod. Thus the operator may, whilethe machine is running, push rearwardly upon the rod 11, Fig. 4, androck the lever 85 on the pin 4| sufiiciently to depress the block 44 anddisengage its tooth 43 from the tooth 42, thereby freeing thebelt-shipper 29 from the stop-motion lever 40 and allowing thebelt-shipper to shift the belt onto the loose pulley l3. Because of thelong face of the pinion 86, this endwise movement of the rod 1'! doesnot disengage such pinion from the rack 13. A stop-collar 9| on the rod11 is adapted to engage the bearing 16 and limit the rearward movementof the rod H. A stop-pin 92 on the collar 9| is adapted to engage thearm 93 on the L-shaped bracket 69, H3, Fig. 10, and limit the turningmovement of the rod 11.

Suppose that the machine has been stopped by the operator in the courseof a sewing cycle, by tripping oif the belt-shipper, because of a brokenneedle. The operator may turn the clutch control rod 11 to disconnectthe gear 6| from the shaft 58 and uncouple the feed-wheel 21 from themain-shaft whereupon the ratchet lever 8| may be oscillated by theoperator to turn the feed-wheel ahead to its normal stopping position,or until the tripping point 26 on the feed-wheel engages the latch-lever24 and releases the stopmotion lever i8. The work-clamp 45, 49 is now innormal starting position. The operator may then remove'the broken needleand replace it with a new one. The operator may then further ratchet thefeed-wheel forwardly until the workclamp is carried to the positionrelative to the needle where the stitching wasinterrupted. By nowgrasping the laterally extending stud 94 or extension of the pin 4|, thestop-motion lever 40 may be tilted to running position, carrying thebelt-shipper with it. Thus the sewing may be restarted at or slightlyahead of the point of interruption, to avoid a gap in the stitching, andproceeds normally to the end of the sewing cycle. In case of aninterruption to the sewing due to thread breakage or exhaustion of thebobbinthread supply, the machine may be permitted to run to the end ofits cycle but without cutting the buttonhole. The operator may thenrethread the machine and ratchet the feed-wheel around to the point ofinterruption of the sewing and pull forwardly on the stud 94 to startthe machine, whereupon the sewing is resumed and the partly finishedbuttonhole completed.

The belt-shipper rod 33 has fixed thereto a de pending finger-piecewhereby the belt-shipper rod 30 may, if found desirable in practice forany reason, be pulled forwardly or re-set in running position,independently of the stop-motion lever 8.

The machine is, of course, equipped with the usual buttonhole slitcutter 95 having the usual manually interruptable operative connections,not shown, with the stop-motion-controlled cutter=lever 96,substantially asdisclosed in the Allen Patent No. 743,213, of Nov. 3,1903.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, whatI claimherein'isz- I 1'. A sewing machine having, in combination,

stitch-forming mechanism, a work-clamp, means including a feed-wheel forrelatively moving the including a feed-wheel for relatively moving the 1stitch-forming mechanism and Work-clamp to place the stitches in thedesired order or arrangement, a main-shaft, a stop-motion devicetherefor, a non-overrunning driving connection between the main-shaftand feed-wheel, manually and instantaneously operable clutch means foruncoupling the feed-wheel from the mainshaft to permit the feed-wheel tobeturned by hand to any desired position while the stitchformingmechanism is at rest.

3. A sewing machine having, in combination,

stitch-forming mechanism, a work-clamp, means including a feed-wheel forrelatively movingthe stitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp to placethe stitches in the desired order or arrangement, a main-shaft, astop-motion device-therefor, a pin and star-wheel driving connectionbetween the main-shaft and feed-wheel, manually operable clutch meansfor uncoupling the. feedwheel from the main-shaft, and manually op-,

erated means for turning the feed-wheel to any desired position whilethe stitch-forming mechanism is at rest.

4. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, awork-clamp, means including a feed-wheel for relatively moving thestitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp to place the stitches in thedesired order or arrangement, a main-shaft, a stop motion devicetherefor, means including a system of reduction-gears for driving thefeed-wheel in step-by-step fashion 'from the main-shaft, said meansoperating to hold back the feed-wheel from overthrow, manually operatedmeans for uncoupling the feed-wheel from the main-shaft, and automaticmeans for re-coupling the feed-wheel and mainshaft. j

5. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, awork-clamp, means including a feed-wheel for relatively moving thestitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp to place the stitches in thedesired order or arrangement, a main-shaft, a stop-motion devicetherefor, a non-overrunning driving connection between the main-shaftand feed-wheel, a manually operated rotatable and endwise slidablecontrol- 7 rod, means actuatedby one of said movements 1 of said rod touncouple the feed-wheel from the main-shaft, and means actuated by theother of saidmovements of said rod to disconnect the machine from itssource of power.

6. A sewing machine having a frame including a bed and an overhangingbracket-arm, stitchformingmechanism incorporated in said frame andincluding a reciprocatory needle operating at the free end of saidbracket-arm, a work-clamp, means including a feed-wheel for relativelymov-.- ing the stitch-forming mechanism and workclamp to place thestitches in the desired order or arrangement, a main-shaft connectedtodrive the stitch-forming mechanism and feed-wheel, a stop-m0tiondevice, a manually operated rod mounted at the side of the bracket-armfor rotary movement, a pinion on said rod, a rack meshing with saidpinion, and means operated by said rack for uncoupling the feed-wheelfrom the main-shaft.

7. A sewing machine having, in combination,

